Masquerade: A 'What If' Story
by bionic4ever
Summary: What if everything you thought you knew about Jaime, Steve and Oscar was an elaborate coverup designed to hide the real truth?
1. Chapter 1

**Masquerade**

(This is dedicated to neesie-pie and weavingdreams: thank you for your support, and I hope if we have duplicate ideas, you'll write your stories anyway!)

Chapter One

Steve picked Jaime up in front of her house in DC. "Ready for another fun-filled round of charades?" he asked, somewhat bitterly.

Jaime rolled her eyes and tried to smile at him. "What did Rudy want that was so urgent?

"No idea," he replied, pulling away from the curb and into traffic. "All he said was that he needs to see us in his office right away. Together."

"You didn't ask?"

"Of course I did. he said he'll tell us both when we get there."

"Sounds ominous," Jaime observed.

"Yeah, well, you never know with Rudy." They rode the rest of the way in silence, both mentally preparing for the act they'd perform - _again_ - when they reached the clinic.

Rudy Wells waited eagerly for them to arrive. This time, he'd actually get to deliver good news for a change. Usually, when they came to see him, they were scared, in pain or both.

Steve parked the car and looked at Jaime. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Jaime? You ok?"

"Yeah," she sighed, sounding anything but ok. "I wish we didn't have to keep putting you through this, though."

"We can talk about that later, if you want. But you need to throw it off for now."

Jaime took a deep breath. "Ok - I'm ready. Let's do this."

Steve walked to the passenger side, opened the door for her and swept her into his arms for what appeared to be a long, loving kiss to anyone outside their circle of two. "We've gotten pretty good at this," he noted.

"Comes with lots of practice." They remained entwined in each other's arms all the way to Rudy's office.

"What's up, Doc?" Steve quipped in greeting. He gave Jaime one more fast but tender kiss before they sat down, still holding each other's hand.

"Well, you're smiling," Jaime said nervously, "so it can't be too major or terrible."

"It definitely isn't terrible," Rudy said with a grin, "but it is pretty major..."

"Rudy, what **is** it?"

"You two have always been my favorite Dynamic Duo...now - you're about to become a trio!" Dead silence. "You're pregnant!" Rudy was so thrilled with the news that he didn't notice the _Oh my God - what do we do now_ look that passed between them.

"Are you sure?" Jaime asked.

"I'm as positive as your test, Honey."

"Wow," she said without smiling.

Rudy was puzzled. "This...is good news, isn't it? I thought -"

"Of course; it's wonderful!" Steve forced himself to gush happily. "We're surprised - stunned. Rudy, it's the best possible news." He looked at Jaime, who was failing in her effort not to cry. He reached over to brush away her tears. "Hormones already, Sweetheart?"

Jaime faked the best smile she could manage. "I'm...just...so happy..."

Steve glanced at Rudy. The two men smiled and in near-perfect unison surmised "Hormones."

"Perfectly normal and ok," Rudy assured them. "I'll need you both to see Linda before you go, so she can take some blood samples."

Steve had to think quickly. "Would it be ok if we came back tomorrow? We'd really like to spend today alone, letting it all sink in."

"Of course; tomorrow's fine."

Steve stood up, helped Jaime to her feet and gave her a hug of 'happiness'. He was alarmed to feel how hard she was trembling. "Rudy, thanks for everything. See ya tomorrow."

"Steve -" the doctor began.

"Don't worry,"Steve said, his arm around Jaime to lead her from the office. "I'll take good care of her."

"I know you will." Rudy walked them to the door and sat back down at his desk, still smiling from ear to ear.

Steve helped Jaime into the carand stood at the open passenger door, looking down at her fondly but with grave concern. "Take some nice deep breaths," he told her. "You look like you're gonna pass out."

Jaime didn't say a word until Steve pulled the car away from the curb. "Steve, what am I gonna do?" She looked and sounded one step away from hysterical.

"First of all, you need to calm down," he said gently. "This isn't good for you. Or for your baby." He waited, driving silently, until she got a partial grip on her emotions before continuing. "Second, we're gonna find your husband and let him know you're going to be parents."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

He stood by the fireplace, a double martini in his hand, waiting for his wife to come home. She'd left a note saying Rudy had wanted to see her - and Steve - in his office right away, so he was worried about her health, but if he was honest with himself, he had to admit he was also worried because she was with Steve. They had been extremely close for many years, before she'd developed amnesia.

He didn't doubt Jaime's love for a second; they'd recently celebrated their anniversary - five blissful years together. There was so much love, joy and passion between them, all of it, by necessity, hidden from the world. They couldn't even wear their wedding rings. The only person outside the marriage who knew anything about it...was Steve. He'd helped design the plan that allowed them to be together and continue to keep it hidden. For five years, he'd masqueraded as Jaime's lover so they could marry without endangering their safety. He did trust Steve (And of course he trusted his wife), but while Jaime's amnesia stole her memories of Steve and their love, he knew Steve's feelings for her had never truly left him. He took several long drinks from his glass. In order to maintain the charade, Steve often had to hold Jaime in his arms, caress her, kiss her (_his_ wife, not Steve's!), all the while ignoring his feelings. What if Steve couldn't push back his love for her anymore? What if some part of acting out a fake love with her former fiance re-ignited her memories of the very real love that had been such a huge part of her past? What if -

"Oscar? I'm home." Her voice sounded shaky, weak. Had Rudy delivered bad news? Oscar was alarmed to see Steve's arm still around her waist. Alarm turned to fear when he saw the greyish-white pallor of her skin and her red-rimmed eyes. He realized Steve was keeping her from falling to the ground, and Oscar quickly moved to take his wife into his own arms.

"Thank you," he told Steve, as he lowered Jaime gently onto the futon and covered her to her shoulders with a soft, fluffy blanket. She stared wordlessly at nothing as Oscar knelt on the floor by her side. "Jaime?"

"Give her a minute or two," Steve suggested.

"Is she hurt? Sick? Steve, _what happened_?"

Steve took his friend's empty glass from his hand. "Oscar, I'm gonna get you another drink."

Oscar nodded, his attention never leaving his wife. He smoothed her hair back and tenderly caressed her face. "Babe, what is it? Please talk to me."

"I'm...pregnant," she said in a barely audible whisper.

"Jaime, that's wonderful!" Oscar wrapped her in a gentle bear hug, covering her face with kisses. "But those aren't tears of joy...what's wrong?"

"We - can't hide this anymore."

"She's right, Daddy," Steve said, handing Oscar a drink and taking a swig of his own. "We need to talk about that."

"Can't you see she's in no shape -"

"I'm aware of that, but Rudy wants blood samples from both parents tomorrow. I don't think I can fake that."

"Let's go in the other room and talk about it, then," Oscar suggested. "Jaime needs to rest." They started toward the kitchen, but the voice from the futon, suddenly stronger and insistent, stopped them.  
"Uh - Gentlemen? This concerns me too, you know." She smiled slightly. "And I'm gonna hear every word you say anyway."

"Well, Pal," Oscar said with a shrug, "you heard the lady." Steve took the easy chair by the fireplace and Oscar sat next to his wife, holding her protectively in his arms.

Steve had the first idea. "Oscar, you could get another doctor to draw your blood and give it to me to give to Rudy. That'd buy you a little breathing room; some time to think and prepare."

"I don't want this baby's life to start with another lie," Jaime insisted. "And Steve, you deserve your life back; this has gone on too long already."

Steve chuckled to himself. Five minutes earlier, she'd been one step from a dead faint, and here she was, taking charge. "I don't mind doing it a little longer, to keep the two of you - I mean the three of you - safe. Besides, there are worse assignments than letting the world believe I'm retired while I collect full salary for kissing you."

Jaime, nestled against Oscar's chest, didn't see the glare her husband shot at Steve. "We could tell Rudy the truth and ask him to keep it quiet for now," Steve suggested, quickly changing the subject.

"No," Oscar said. "Jaime's right; it's time to end the masquerade. We'll tell everyone we've just eloped, to avoid questions about the two of you. And Babe, I'm sending you into hiding - close by so I can still see you - at least until the baby's born."

"No." Jaime said firmly. "I'm not gonna leave you. Especially if we bring this out in the open. You'd become a prime target."

"Jaime, I'm not asking you; I'm telling you."

"Uh-uh. You're not my boss outside the office," she pointed out.

"I'm your _husband_."

"Meaning what?"

"Steve, help me out here," Oscar pleaded.

Steve grinned. "Sorry, my friend; you knew she was like this and you married her anyway."

"Excuse me, Austin?" Jaime said lightly. "Care to tell me what you mean by 'like this'?"

"Means you're Oscar's problem, not mine."

"Babe, please don't fight me on this..."

"Tell you what," Steve interjected, "let's decide what we're gonna do about tomorrow, then I'll get outta your hair and you two can battle out the rest."

"There's really no decision to be made. This little one," Oscar gently touched his wife's stomach, "made the decision for us. I'll tell Rudy tomorrow."

Jaime cleared her throat. "You mean **we**."

"Babe, you really don't need to go through that much stress right now."

"So you won't need me tomorrow?" Steve asked.

"No. But we are so grateful for everything you've done to help us; thank you doesn't begin to cover it." Oscar shook his hand.

"I'll stop by and bug you once in awhile. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"We'll hold you to that," Oscar told him.

Steve leaned over the futon to touch Jaime's hand. "Bye, Jaime."

"Goodbye..." she whispered.

When they were alone, Oscar drew his wife closer for a long, tender kiss. "Parents," he stated. "Us."

"I love you so much," Jaime said softly.

"Babe, I love you too, and tomorrow, the world finds out how much."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Rudy shook his head in disbelief. "Five years? This was going on for five years? Wow!"

Oscar and Jaime were beaming. They were finally wearing their wedding rings, and Oscar held his wife in his arms - right out in the open - for the very first time. "How...um...far along is she, Rudy?" oscar asked.

"Still very early: only about five or six weeks."

"Everyone but you is being told we eloped last night," Oscar explained. "It's a lot simpler all around."

Rudy nodded. "Mum's the word."

"You mean Mom's the word, don't you?" Jaime quipped, then suddenly grew serious. "Rudy, will I be able to carry this baby to term?"

"Absolutely. Your bionics won't affect gestation one bit."

"What about my power source? Will that be dangerous for...the baby?" She was still a little in awe when she said that word: _baby._

Rudy smiled at her. "Shouldn't be a problem. I'll be monitoring your condition very closely. We'll be seeing a lot of each other in the next eight months."

"Good," Oscar agreed.

"And Oscar, your job is to make sure she eats right, takes the vitamins I'm going to give her, gets plenty of sleep and avoids stress as much as possible."

Oscar touched Jaime's cheek and kissed her softly. "I'll take good care of her, Rudy. Of both of them."

"I know you will. Jaime, I want to see you a week from today for a check-up and an ultrasound." Jaime nodded. "Stop and see Linda on your way out, and she'll have your vitamins. And she'll take blood samples for me."

Linda's eyes grew wide when she saw Oscar coming down the hall with his arm around Jaime. Where was Steve? Rudy's entire staff was too well-trained to ask personal questions, so she gave Jaime the vitamins and took a vial of her blood. Oscar rolled up his sleeve and offered his arm. Linda was confused.

"Am I taking your blood?"

"Yep," he answered. Linda noticed their wedding rings and began to stammer.

"You...you're...married?" They smiled happily at her. "Well, congratulations!"

Two days later, the rest of DC knew as well, when their wedding announcement was printed in all the local papers.

Oscar took a week off from work (his first in years) and he and Jaime spent a joyful week receiving visitors, taking congratulatory phone calls and opening cards. Oscar enforced every one of Rudy's edicts, plus a few of his own. He made sure his wife spent ample time resting in the easy chair while he brought her tea, juice, toast and anything else he thought she might want or need. He massaged her back, ran bubble baths for her and ignored her protests that he was spoiling her; he loved taking care of her.

On the other side of the city, one man in particular was overjoyed when he opened the newspaper and saw the announcement. "Well, what do we have here? Harry, Raj - you gotta see this," he called into the next room. Two tall, husky, well-armed men joined him, reading the paper from over his shoulder. "Look what we have here: the illustrious OSI Director has taken himself a wife. Goldman's got a weak spot."

"Damn pretty one, too," Raj added.

"It would be awfully bad manners to ignore this momentous occasion," Tom told them. "In fact, I'd like to give the bride my best wishes in person. I want the two of you to make that happen."

"Gotcha, Boss," Harry confirmed. "Consider it done."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

On the last day of his vacation, Oscar took Jaime to her appointment with Rudy, and was by her side to see the images on the ultrasound screen.

"You're a little further along than I thought, Honey," Rudy observed. "I'd put you at just over two months."

"Is that bad?" Jaime asked nervously. "Does that mean he's too small?"

"She," Oscar said.

Rudy smiled. "No - everything looks just fine. On the small side of normal, but nothing to worry about." He attached a blood pressure cuff to Jaime's left arm. He took the reading, turned to Oscar, and motioned with his eyes toward the door. "Honey," he said to Jaime, "Linda will help you get that gel off and get dressed, and then you can meet us in my office. Ok?"

Jaime nodded. Linda had seen the look Rudy had given Oscar, and she'd worked with him long enough to know she should take her time, stall as much as possible, to give Rudy and Oscar time to talk.

Once they were in the office with the door closed, Oscar let the worry show on his face. "What's wrong, Rudy? Is it bad? Do I need to sit down?"

"Yes." Both men sat, and Rudy got right to the point. "By itself, the fact that the embyro is small is nothing to worry about. But...Jaime's blood pressure is dangerously high. To have that show up this early in a pregnancy is an urgent red flag."

"Are you saying she'll lose the baby?"

"Not necessarily. But we need to keep her stress level as low as possible. That, plus medication, extra sleep and as much time off her feet as she'll tolerate...hopefully will do the trick."

"I'm supposed to go back to work tomorrow," Oscar told him. "I'll go in for a couple hours in the morning and arrange for Russ and Jim to cover things for awhile so I can take a leave of absence."

"The last thing I ever thought I'd hear you say, Oscar, but that would be ideal."

"Jaime's the only part of my life that really matters...Jaime - and the baby."

Rudy nodded agreement. "Now this is ultimately your decision, but I don't advise telling her that she's at such a high risk. I can have our pharmacy blend the new medication into her vitamins, and simply tell her I've changed the dosage. The goal is to eliminate stress, not add more."

"Rudy, I'll go with whatever you think is best. I just want to keep both of them healthy and safe."

On the drive home, Jaime took a look at her news pills and began to complain. "Oscar, did you see these? Freakin' horse pills! And they reek!"

"Reeking horse pills that you'll be taking every day, for our daughter."

"Our son. And I'm gonna take 'em. Just had to vent a little."

Oscar drove up the long, private driveway, got out to open his wife's door and helped her from the car. "I love you so much," he said softly. He swept her into his arms for a deep, passionate kiss as his emotions overwhelmed him. They never noticed two pairs of eyes watching them from far back in the trees, like two cobras waiting for the perfect chance to strike.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The next morning, Oscar made breakfast for Jaime, watched as she swallowed her horse pill and made her comfortable in the easy chair before leaving for his office. "I'll be back before lunch, and I'll have a surprise for you. Everything you could possibly need in the meantime is on this table, so -"

"Oscar, you're turning into a fussy old woman." She smiled at him, pure happiness dancing in her eyes. "And I love you for it."

"I love you too - and I won't be long." He kissed her and forced himself out the door. Jaime sighed contentedly, nestled back into the pillows and closed her eyes.

She dozed off, waking about an hour later when she heard the mailman on the porch. Reminding herself to move slowly and gently, she put the blanket aside and went out to the porch for the mail. Jaime had just removed everything from the box - still so many cards! - when she felt a sudden sharp, blinding pain at the back of her head, and she crumpled to the ground.

Oscar returned home just minutes after the car carrying his unconscious, pregnant wife had sped away. He saw the open front door before he'd even parked the car. _She couldn't stay put for one hour? _He was slightly annoyed. Then he saw the mail scattered across the porch, and his blood ran cold with sheer terror.

"No...Oh God, no..." He flew into the house and ran from room to room, calling her name. He found the blanket, neatly set aside on the arm of the chair. Whatever had happened took place on the porch, amidst the scattered envelopes. He searched the porch quickly but thoroughly and found no blood, no note, no clues. Jaime's car was still in the garage, and as Oscar returned to the den and picked up the phone, he saw the bottle of medicine, intended to keep Jaime and the baby healthy, still sitting on the coffee table.

Jaime moaned softly as she began to wake up. Her head hurt terribly, and she couldn't clear away the strange, dizzy feeling. She was lying on a sofa that wasn't hers in a house she didn't recognize. Her eyes closed again before she could see the two men with guns and realize she was in grave danger. Just before she drifted off, she heard the voice of an angry man she didn't know. "How hard did you hit her, moron?"

At the same time, Oscar was pacing the floor of his den, completely distraught. Steve was the first friend to reach his side. "Oscar, are you sure she was taken? Maybe she went for a walk -"

"The door was wide open, and the mail..." Oscar's voice broke. Steve knew he had to take charge; Oscar was in no shape to lead this investigation.

Steve picked up the phone and notified the NSB, the FBI and the police. "Yes, less than an hour. Look - I don't care if she's only been gone for five minutes; she's in serious danger. She needs medicine and it's sitting here on the table. I need every available person on this **now**. If they aren't available, you make them available. Twenty-four hours is too late. _Now._ Thank you."

Jim and Russ joined them, followed by Peggy Callahan. When Steve saw Rudy coming up the walk, he went out onto the porch to talk with him in private.

"Oscar told you what happened?" Steve asked in lieu of a greeting. The doctor nodded grimly. "Rudy, if Jaime is without that medicine for a day or a couple of days, how serious a situation are we looking at?"

"Jaime's blood pressure is already dangerously high. Given the stress of the situation, this could be very bad."

"She'll lose the baby?"

"Or worse," Rudy confirmed. "We could easily lose both of them. Jaime's already had one cerebral hemorrhage; with her blood pressure untreated, we're looking at a strong possibility of a major stroke."

"Ok. Well, we're gonna find her. I've got all available personnel in the tri-state area on the case. In the meantime, do me a favor and don't tell Oscar what you just told me; he's already a wreck."

"You got it. I'll stay with Oscar to keep an eye on him, and be available as soon as Jaime's found. I'll want her in the hospital for tests even if she seems to be ok."

Steve nodded. "We'll find her soon, Rudy. We've got to."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jaime's captors had worries of their own. "She should be awake by now," Tom said angrily. "If you hit her too hard...a dead bargaining chip is of no use to me!"

In fact, Jaime was awake and feigning unconsciousness to gather as much information as she could. _Bargaining chip,_ she thought to herself, _that means I'm not the target; Oscar is. They either want money, information or both._ She cringed inwardly, knowing Oscar would do anything to try and save her. _Once they get what they want, they'll kill him - or both of us._ She could hear angry footsteps crossing the room and nearly gave herself away when a fist slammed into a table.

"We could call Goldman anyway," one of the goons suggested.

"And say what? That we have his wife but she can't come to the phone because one of you idiots may have fractured her skull? Goldman deals in facts, concrete evidence. He's gonna want to talk to her..."

"So we tell him he can talk to her when he gets here?"

"Not good enough!" the angry one spat out. Jaime correctly surmised he was the leader. "Leave me alone; I've gotta think. Can you two manage to keep an eye on her, or is that asking too much of your limited abilities?"

Jaime listened as the angry footsteps faded down the hallway. As far as she could tell, that left two men in the room with her, and they didn't seem to know about her bionics. She could take them on - she was sure of it. Even if they had guns, she had the element of surprise. But...one blow to her stomach...Jaime decided that lying still with her eyes closed was the safest way to go, at least for now.

A few minutes later, the angry one called for the other two to join him. "She's totally out. She ain't goin' nowhere." Jaime's heart leapt and her senses came alive. She tried to hear what they were doing, but realized this could be her only chance, and she might only have a few seconds. She could either listen or break for the door. She chose the door. She rose to her feet and had to waste several precious seconds shaking off the dizziness that threatened to overtake her. She located the door and moved quickly and silently toward freedom. She opened the door, and all hope withered and died. The two goons stood just outside the door, guns drawn and pointed directly at her.

The angry one spoke from behind them. "Leaving without saying goodbye is such bad manners. I had a feeling you were really awake. Now...you'll have to be punished."

Jaime felt her legs start to give out beneath her and she began to sink to the ground, but the two goons each grabbed one of her arms, and with a gun pressed directly to her head, they dragged her back inside, opened another door and roughly shoved her inside. her head swimming, Jaime sank slowly to the floor as they slammed the door and turned the lock.

When her world stopped spinning crazily, she began to assess the tiny room she was confined in. She assumed it was a small closet, because when she was sitting, there wasn't even enough room to fully stretch out her legs. Jaime tentatively felt along the walls and realized she was in serious trouble when she discovered the tiny room was walled with thick, strong metal. This was no closet; it was a specially crafted prison cell! She wondered how many other people had been terrorized there.

While Jaime was trying to calm down and think, Steve was firing up for action. "Thank you," he said to the trooper on the other end of the phone. Hanging up the receiver, he turned excitedly to the others. "Jim! Russ! I've got an address; let's go!"

Oscar was on his feet immediately. "I'm going, too."

"That's not a good idea," Steve told him.

"Dammit - she's my wife!"

"Which is why you need to stay here, in case they try to reach you." Steve turned to Jim and Russ. "Let's move."

Oscar resigned himself to staying behind and sat down with his head in his hands, nearly sick with worry and fear.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Steve sped through the night, crossing into Maryland. With the cooperation and assistance of the troopers, he was doing 90 down the Interstate toward the specified address. Jaime and Oscar lived in a very exclusive area of DC, where an unknown vehicle - especially one receiving a traffic ticket - was easily spotted. DC police and Maryland troopers combined information, and Steve had the address. He, Russ and Jim planned to go in, with the swarm of lawmen surrounding the perimeter of the house. Steve had also alerted a Medivac chopper, which waited just minutes from the destination. _Hang on, Jaime,_ he thought,_ we're almost there._

Jaime was still suffering from the severe blow to her head she'd received when she'd been taken, and the jolt to her entire body from being thrown roughly into the metal wall of the cell. Despite her best efforts to remain alert, she was passing in and out of consciousness.

She was unable to hear normal conversations through the thick walls, even when completely awake, but the sudden sound of wood being splintered to pieces (the door?), half a dozen male voices all shouting at once and then a barrage of gunfire forced her instantly to full alertness. She could make out the reports of at least four, possibly more, different guns, with too many shots fired for her to accurately count them. Then - silence.

The next sound she heard made Jaime's heart sing with relief: Steve's strong, familiar voice, calling her name. He wouldn't hear her, even if she screamed (and she was to weak to do that), so she waited patiently, knowing he would eventually find her. Minutes later, she watched as the metal door began to buckle and then popped off its hinges.

"Jaime, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I...think...I'm ok...they hit...my head...kinda...dizzy..."

"Jim, I need you to call for the Medivac," Steve said with authority. "Then call Oscar and Rudy and have them meet us at Bethesda." He knelt at Jaime's side and she threw her arms around him in relief. The bump on the back of her head was clearly visible.

"Whoa - you've got one hell of a goose-egg!" He rolled up his jacket and placed it behind her for a little more comfort. "I think I'd better let the medics decide how to move you. I don't wanna make anything worse." Jaime nodded as her eyes grew heavy again and she drifted off. "Jim!" Steve called urgently, "How long on the chopper?"

"ETA about two minutes."

"When they touch down, get 'em in here fast. With a stretcher and a backboard." Jim headed outside to wait for the chopper. "Russ, see if you can hunt down another blanket." They'd already used three to cover the three still forms on the living room floor. Jaime's captors had refused to give up quietly, even when surrounded. Steve stared down at Jaime. Her face was a ghastly shade of greyish-white, her breathing was irregular and her skin felt cool and clammy. _Probably in shock,_ he noted.

Jim stuck his head in the door. "Chopper's here." The medics carefully placed Jaime on the stretcher, and within minutes, they were on their way to Bethesda, where Rudy and Oscar were already waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jaime rested in her hospital bed while the two most important men in her life conferred with Rudy in his office. "How is she really, Rudy? And is the baby ok?" Oscar couldn't sit still in a chair and was nervously pacing the few steps back and forth in the little office.

"She took a nasty blow to her head and has a pretty bad concussion, but thankfully no fractures. She's still in shock, and her blood pressure is almost off the charts, but she's been medicated for that, and she's resting fairly comfortably, in spite of having refused the sedative. I think that after a good, long night's sleep, we'll see definite improvement in the morning, especially with her blood pressure."

"And the baby?" Steve reminded him.

"We did an emergency ultrasound, and everything still looks normal; no detachment, no bleeding. It's impossible to know for sure, though, for another few weeks, until we can hear the baby's heartbeat. I want her completely off of her feet until then, and she refuses to do that at home, then she'll be doing it here."

"I'll be there to make sure she sticks to it; I've put in for full retirement," Oscar announced. Seeing the shocked looks on Steve and Rudy's faces, he continued. "I've been wanting to do that since the wedding, but never felt quite comfortable because there was no one to replace me. No one crazy enough to actually take the job." Oscar smiled, ready to spring the surprise. "But now, I've found exactly the right person, and it's time."

Rudy looked at his old friend and immediately knew where he was headed. Steve simply looked puzzled. "So who's the unfortunate lunatic?" he asked.

Oscar grinned. "You are, Pal."

"Now, wait a minute -"

"You'll be perfect! The way you took charge of everything tonight and got Jaime back - you stayed calm and got it done - I can't think of anyone else better suited for this."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult to my sanity," Steve told him.

"So you'll do it, then?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, and I'm not sure why, but...yes. I'd be honored, Oscar. I had an excellent teacher." The two men shook hands and then Steve headed out and Oscar turned to Rudy.

"When can I see Jaime?" Oscar asked.

"You can go down right now, although she's probably sleeping. I've got her in Intensive Care, just until she's stabilized. I've informed the nurses they should let you stay as long as you want to."

"Thank you," Oscar said, a little too quietly.

Rudy looked at him sternly. "You might consider getting some rest yourself, though. You look positively beat."

"I've got the rest of my life to rest; tonight, I need to be with my wife." Oscar headed down to the ICU and pulled a chair close to the side of Jaime's bed. Her breathing had become regular and steady again, and the oxygen Rudy had put her on was bringing a new, heathier color to her face. He watched her sleep for a very long time. When the sun was almost up, her eyelids fluttered and she slowly opened her eyes.

Oscar took her hand and smiled broadly at her. "Those have to be the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," he whispered, once again choked with emotion.

"Is the baby ok?"

"Rudy said everything seems fine. He'll know more in a couple of weeks, when he can hear the heartbeat."

"Hey," she remembered, "this morning you said you had a surprise for me..."

"Yup. I was going to tell you I was taking a leave of absence, but I changed my mind."

"Oscar, you know, you work way too hard. A leave might do you -"

"I'm retiring, instead."

"You're -"

"Retiring. As in, you'll be stuck with me at home 24/7, like it or not."

"I don't like it; I love it!"

Jaime spent the rest of that day in the ICU and was moved to a private room the next morning. She became a model patient, doing anything Rudy told her to do, determined to return home to her husband. Less than a week later, she did just that.

Seven months (almost to the day) after her release, Jaime returned to the same room at the hospital for a much happier reason. Their baby was born healthy and squawking. "Sounds just like Mom," Oscar noted, teasing her. That evening, the new OSI Director was the family's first visitor. Oscar placed the baby in Steve's arms and said "This man is the reason you got here safely, Little One."  
Steve looked down at the infant in his arms and smiled almost as broadly as her parents. "Well hello, Miss Stephanie Lynn Goldman! Welcome to the world!"

END


End file.
